Mpls. Principal Speaks Out After Gunfire Interrupts Open House

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A north Minneapolis elementary school principal took to social media to vent after gunshots invaded her school's open house Thursday.

Mauir Melander says she is pointing fingers at those responsible for the shooting near Lucy Craft Laney Community School -- and she is calling out others.

"In my mind, I wanted to believe that when school was going to start, this was going to stop, and it just showed me yesterday that it's not," Melander said.

She spoke, backed by teachers and staff, about the violence that has shattered their sense of security.

"It feels like we are on this corner alone, and the violence has been increasing for the last year," she said. "We are in the middle of the hot zone."

Neighbors say the school sits in between a liquor store and homes where drug and gang activity is suspected.

"There's a few properties that everybody knows about, and there's a lot of trouble," said Kristal Porter, president of the Cleveland Neighborhood Association.

She says Thursday's violence originated from a particular alleyway.

"A little after 4 o'clock we parked right there and the gunshots rang out and a few guys came running out the alley and ran right by me and my son," Porter said.

It was a sound that shook a principal to her core, and made her write about her feelings on Facebook.

"To the ones pulling the triggers, shame on you. To the ones who know who they are but don't say anything, shame on you. And to the ones elected and appointed to lead, shame on you," said Melander on Facebook.

She also put blame on Minneapolis police.

"I want to know why law enforcement rides by that block, doesn't pull over, doesn't get out of their cars, doesn't address what they see," Melander said.

These educators say it takes a village to raise and protect children.

"Get the police to become part of our village, because the people are doing what we can do," said school nurse Betty Smith.

Right now, they say they need help to accomplish that goal.

A woman was hit by the gunfire a block away from the school. Police say they are increasing patrols in the area, and have designated the three blocks around the school as a "focused zone."